


Into The Dark

by ZiziTopsider



Series: Fallen Angel [2]
Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Honestly I should finish my other story before I continue adding to this one, I just kind of wanted to tie a few things into one thing., Multi, Reader Insert, Reaper is the Grim Reaper, Very vague implications of magic and otherworld customs affecting the mortal realm, anyway, gender neutral reader, here's wonderwall, kind of
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-02
Updated: 2021-01-02
Packaged: 2021-03-11 01:09:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,890
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28496607
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ZiziTopsider/pseuds/ZiziTopsider
Summary: What happens when you don't listen to the words of the wise?
Relationships: Reaper | Gabriel Reyes/Reader
Series: Fallen Angel [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2087400
Kudos: 3





	Into The Dark

**Author's Note:**

> Hey! So, this is going to be a branch off of the other story I wrote, Flight of the Navigator. It's implied that they're on the same timeline. I may or may not continue this with another chapter story, but who knows.
> 
> Happy 2021!

There has been a story passed down from generation to generation about an angel who appears moments before you die to make your transition into the afterlife a peaceful one. If you see him and deny the help, he will close the pathing off and leave you in a cycle of torment for one century until he will come again for your soul. Those who stay behind manifest themselves in abandoned homes and places most people seem “haunted.”

It’s not that it’s haunted, they just don’t want to face what they left behind.

You really paid it no thought, often laughing at people when you ignored the peace offering process to throw salt over your shoulder and to be wary of splitting the pole with the ones you love. Instead, to your rebellious delight, you ignored all of them and then some. Your family grew tired of their warnings falling on deaf ears, but your mother held onto hope by doing them in your stead. It was all crap to you, simple scary things to keep kids in line like the boogeyman, or the dentist.

The ride home from work was boring, but you preferred it that way. The bus regulars sat besides transient people who liked to bark at the first time riders and obvious tourists. While they shivered, you tuned it out and listened to a podcast to pass the time. Before you knew it, your stop came up, and you weaved around the nervous passengers and hopped off, stuffing your hands in your pockets and walked home.

A chill kept bothering the back of your neck, even with it covered in a scarf and turtleneck, but New England winters were brutal when they weren’t so damn peaceful looking. Maybe if you got lucky, you would win the favor of some older person who wanted to buy you pleasant things for a few of your ‘nice things’. The thought made you bundle up harder. Rounding the corner to your street, you slammed head on with a brick wall.

It felt like one, anyway.

Stumbling backwards, you rubbed your nose and huffed at the offending object, but was awestruck by the man in front of you. Crooked smile, gorgeous wavy hair under a black hat with a brim covered in lettering you couldn’t make out, and an equally tasteful black trench coat and jeans. His boots were peculiar, but that’s fashion. Maybe he was into whips and chains like the ones on his shoes..?

“I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to run into you!”

His laughter was warming, but there was a sour note to it that made your palms sweaty. As his gaze returned to your face, you felt like your world stopped.

“Oh, I think you meant to. Besides, we have a date in an hour.”

Fuck.

FUCK!

Eyes wide with the realization of what he said, you turned on your heel and darted down the road, slipping on patches of ice on the way. One caught you off guard and you slammed down to your hands and knees, but with the adrenaline of a gazelle running from danger, you recovered and continued the retreat.

‘If I don’t look back, he won’t get me.’

‘Keep my eyes forward and hands at my sides.’

‘Don’t cross the street in a parallel, you’re only inviting danger further in.’

Your mother’s words echoed in your mind, but your thundering heart beat drowned it out. Instead, you did all of those things and more. Each time you thought he couldn’t find you, that brimmed hat peaked above the curls in front of his face. His smile was still there, but his eyes bled black, inky droplets cascading down his tanned skin. The more you struggled, the more he hungered.

In your rush to get away from death, you backed yourself into a corner, like a grade a dumbass. He stood at the entrance of the alleyway while you scrambled with doors, knocking and screaming for help to no avail. When his gloved hand landed on your shoulder, you froze.

Literally.

The slow crawl of tingles that shot from your toes, simmering in a jolting way as they ripped your soul from your body, you watched in horror as the body you once lived in dropped in a heap, headphones clattering next to your emotionless face. He didn’t give you time to react, twisting you around to face him with a hint of irritation framing his gorgeous features.

Well, if you consider a horror movie villain hot…

_Well…_

“What did you hope to achieve from running? Now I had to cut your time short.” With a groan, the man pulled out his phone and tapped on the screen, blinding you with a flash before he continued to type away. “Now I won’t get paid overtime.”

If you could capture the emotions you went through just now, it would probably sound like high-pitched screeching and microphone feedback. Pulling away from his hand, you huffed.

“Legit?! You just killed me and the only thing you’re concerned about is _overtime?!_

He gave you a once over before tucking the phone back in his pocket. “Well, yeah. You weren’t due just yet, and now this messes with the balance of things. Someone’s gonna end up with twins now.”

It’s a good thing you were dead, because his lack of care would have knocked you out cold.

“Who gives a damn, I’m dead! What happens now?! Am I gonna be trapped in the loop?!”

Gloved hands waved at you to calm your irate spirit down, but it wasn’t working. “You won’t if you don’t accept my help. It’s okay though, you were my last VIP for the day, which gives you a bit more time to visit places on this plane before we go.”

The anger you wanted to feel was palpable, but with the way he raised his eyebrows and shrugged his shoulders tickled something inside.

Er… outside?

“Oh, alright. I don’t want to stay here, but I don’t want to keep you busy, so can we get started?”

“Of course. Right this way.”

He captured your hand, and in a flash; you were in the living room of your home. From the kitchen you could hear your father fussing with dinner, while your mother dropped a heavy basket of clothes in front of the couch. He released your hand to let you take in their gentle faces, caressing their hair and kissing their cheeks. Before you left, you flicked the bell on the back door. Your mother’s head whipped around as if she were looking straight at you. Her brows knit, but she shook the concern off and turned back to her task.

The next two places were sentimental in ways you really didn’t feel like getting into. The cliff’s edge on the side of a nature trail behind brick apartments left a wave of longing, nostalgia and bittersweet images of the times you enjoyed the sunset with an old flame. Their kisses were just as soft as you remembered.

Wind carried the scent of the sea to wash over you when you two landed on the rocky beach. As twilight bled into full night, light from a distant street lamp gave it the feeling of something desolate, maybe mournful. But you loved it. The moon was full, draping the ocean and gentle waves with sparkling lights that you took in from the sandy place you sat.

Knees tucked under your chin and arms wrapped around legs, you sat in silence for a while, barely registering the guest who plopped down next to you. He splayed his limbs out, tucking his fingers in the sand and stretching his legs akimbo. It wasn’t often that he had to escort someone who didn’t speak. Normally they were screaming and trying to bend the rules of fate, but you had a veil of understanding hidden under thick lashes.

“This is my second time at the beach.”

You peeked at him from the crook of your arm and hummed, offering him the floor to continue.

“I didn’t get to see it much in my childhood. Growing up in the city meant long drives to the coast that is overrated. Then, when I had enough money to leave, I ended up in Europe. Guess who stayed hours away from the beach again?”

He smiled and chuckled, earning a small one from you while you stared at him. His face warmed considerably, pearly white teeth peeled through lush lips that grew jagged at the corner where his hair covered it. When another brush of wind came by, it revealed the true extent of the damage. His skull was visible, burned patches of skin hung on by threads of muscle and veins that refused to let go. Upon closer inspection, you noticed that his eye was missing, wisps of smoke drifting behind and around him.

“You know, it’s not nice to stare.”

You gasped and turned away, face burning in embarrassment as his boisterous laughter filled the silence.

“I’m just kidding! Look. After all, it is a pretty gnarly injury.”

With that, you folded your legs in between themselves and matched his posture to an extent, questions of how and why he still had them even in this form.

“How-“

“Accident. I was flying home with my son and the plane I took became unresponsive. I tried to get it to work again, but it didn’t seem to listen to anything I threw at it, so I jumped from the plane with my boy in my arms and hoped for the best. Of course, the only parachute backpack in the damn thing was busted.”

“It took me a while to come to terms with what happened. My escort was gracious enough to let me linger so I can see my wife one more time. Imagine my surprise when she showed up months later, only to be thrown in a completely unfamiliar area. She gets to be with my son and I have to do this.”

Your tears were dry on your face, but you still wiped them away. “Why couldn’t you be with them?”

This time it was his turn to look away. “Because I had a lot more to atone for than they did. Maybe when I earn enough hours to pay it off, I’ll get to see them again. For now, I get to hang out with cool spirits like you.”

His laugh was flat, smile tight despite the gaping hole in the side of his face. He stiffened when you leaned into his side to offer comfort without being too invasive. He regarded you with silent awe while you smiled and watched the last of high tide slide against the beach. Maybe it wasn’t all that bad that he took you too soon.

After another hour, he helped you to your feet and wrapped his arms around your waist, your hands locking behind his neck as he leapt into the sky, leaving a trail of sparkling light in your wake. Some part of you you held close before everything faded out wished that you’d see him again. Maybe you could help him return to his loved ones.

He wished for the same as he held your hand once more, letting the last of your spirit follow his into the dark.


End file.
